VA closes deal for national cemetery land near Colorado Springs

Papers have been signed sealing a deal to buy 374 acres of land as a burial place for southern Colorado veterans, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced Wednesday.
The site near South Powers Boulevard and Bradley Road is planned to serve the region's 95,000 veterans. The area was...

Papers have been signed sealing a deal to buy 374 acres of land as a burial place for southern Colorado veterans, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced Wednesday.

+ captionColorado Springs will be home to a national cemetary. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The site near South Powers Boulevard and Bradley Road is planned to serve the region's 95,000 veterans. The area was served earlier by Denver's Fort Logan National Cemetery.

Colorado U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and Mark Udall joined Colorado Springs U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn in announcing the deal, which comes three months after the VA announced it was in final negotiations for the land.

"This is an exciting day for Colorado Springs and southern Colorado," Lamborn said. "This means the VA is absolutely committed to giving Colorado Springs and Southern Colorado a national cemetery."

Local veterans, through the Pikes Peak Region Veterans Cemetery Committee, have battled for nearly 15 years to create the cemetery.

El Paso County has the highest concentration of veterans in Colorado but was long denied a cemetery by VA regulations, which said the Fort Logan National Cemetery, 75 miles away in Denver, was close enough. Burial at a federal cemetery is one of the benefits veterans gain for honorable service.

Word that the long cemetery fight was over brought elation.

"I have been celebrating since Friday," said retired Army Col. Victor Fernandez who helped lead the local push for the cemetery.